A resident of a high-rise condominium in Thailand on Oct. 12 cut the support rope for two painters, apparently angry she was not told they would be doing work, and left them hanging above the 26th floor until a couple rescued them, police said on Wednesday.
The woman is facing attempted murder and property destruction charges, said Pongjak Preechakarunpong, chief of the Pak Kret police station north of the Thai capital.
Pongjak did not say what prompted her to cut the rope, but Thai media reported that she was apparently frustrated when the workers appeared outside her room and she had not seen an announcement by the condo that they would be doing work.
Photo: AFP
A video clip on social media showed two painters asking the residents on the 26th floor to open the window and let them in.
One of the painters, a Burmese national named Song, told Thai media that he and his two coworkers lowered themselves from the 32nd floor to repair a crack on the building.
When he reached the 30th floor, he felt that the rope was heavier, and when he looked down, he saw someone on the 21st floor open a window and cut his rope, Song said.
He tried asking for help from other units, but nobody was in, Song added.
The third colleague continued to support them from the top floor, said Praphaiwan Setsing, the resident who saved them.
Praphaiwan said that her British husband noticed one painter signaling for help and called her to talk to them.
“This incident is shocking and should not happen at all,” she said.
The management of the condo accompanied the painters to report the incident to the police.
The 34-year-old woman at first denied that she was responsible, but police sent the severed rope for a fingerprint and DNA analysis, media reported.
On Wednesday, the woman and her lawyer appeared at the police station. After the police showed her security camera footage and the forensic evidence, she confessed, but denied any intention to kill the workers.
Pongjak said that the suspect had been temporarily released.
Police would file an indictment at the provincial court within 15 days, he said.
She could face a prison term of up to 20 years if found guilty on a charge of attempted murder.
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